A Voyage Through History
Established in 1891 in the old Perth gaol, The Western Australian Museum documents the State’s rich and diverse natural and cultural heritage. It comprises six public sites, plus a collection and research centre, and houses more than 4.5 million objects.
In addition to its permanent collection, the museum also regularly plays host to temporary exhibitions, including a recent collection on loan from the British Museum – A History of the World in 100 Objects – which explores the last two million years of human history.
From the earliest tools made of humble stone to colorful Javanese shadow puppets, the objects in the exhibit provide an unwritten insight into human cultures across time. The challenge was to find the right lighting to accurately render colors and whiteness while meeting specific lighting guidelines to keep artefacts safe.
To meet these guidelines, SORAA’s Australian partners, Lighting Options Australia, and lighting designers at Illuminated Design chose 150 SORAA VIVID MR16 LED lamps throughout the exhibit after rigorous tests and evaluations of several brands. Their ability to render warm tones beautifully and accurately, and achieve a color-rendering index (CRI) of 95 made them an ideal choice. Plus, with no UV and IR radiation, low heat output and the ability to dim to specified light levels the precious objects were protected.
“This is one of the best known exhibits on loan to the museum. SORAA’s VIVID MR16 lamps and accompanying SNAP System™ provided the flexibility needed with this exhibition to protect these rare artifacts and illuminate them perfectly,” said Ben Conick, Lighting Options Australia. “SORAA delivered the rights options and simply the best lighting for this project.”
“SORAA’s VIVID MR16 lamps are excellent, with great color rendering, color temperature, beam angles and additional lenses to change the distribution. The magnetic attachment of filters, the SNAPS, are quite impressive,” said Frederika Perey of Illuminated Design. “The SNAPs are easy to apply, allowing me the flexibility to change the approach during the focusing process. This is critical when lighting exhibits, such as the History of the World in 100 Objects exhibition.”
SORAA’s SNAP System allowed for distinct beam spreads and CTO filters gave the Museum the options needed to properly illuminate the exhibit. The SNAP SYSTEM is the first magnetic attachment accessory system for LED lighting. Due to its bright, single LED light source made possible by SORAA’s GaN on GaN™ LED technology, and breakthrough prismatic optic, the company’s lamps can accept a magnet in the center of the lens without any major effect on light output. The system allows users to customise light directly on MR/PAR/AR111 lamps and light engines, rather than on fixtures, transforming the user experience and the economics of accessorising lighting designs.
Photo Credit: Matt Devlin Photography | www.mattdevlin.com.au
